Which interventions do people actually use?

This depends on a range of factors, including the needs of the person on the autism spectrum, as well as the availability and cost of each intervention. The most commonly used interventions in the UK include

Standard healthcare approaches, such as speech and language therapy and occupational therapy.

Educational approaches which may include behavioural and developmental programmes and techniques.

Augmentative and alternative communication, such as the Picture Exchange Communication System.

Which interventions actually work?

Most interventions appear to produce benefits of some kind, otherwise people wouldn't use them. Unfortunately in some cases these apparent benefits are short-term, insignificant or illusory. And any benefits may be outweighed by the financial and emotional costs of the intervention, or the dangers inherent in some therapies.

At present there is very little scientifically valid research into the effectiveness of most interventions designed to help people on the autism spectrum. However we do know that some interventions are more promising than others.

For example, there is strong scientific evidence to support the effectiveness of some behavioural and developmental interventions for some young children. And there is equally strong scientific evidence to show that some interventions, such as facilitated communication, are not effective.

Having said all that, each autistic person is different and what works for one person may not work for another.

Why does it matter if people use the wrong interventions?

Some interventions may be harmful. For example, the machine used in auditory integration training can damage someone's hearing because of the excessive volume or sound pressure produced.

Ineffective therapies waste parents' time and resources. For example there is strong scientific evidence to show that secretin is not an effective treatment for autism. But that doesn't stop some therapists charging thousands of pounds for this treatment.

Ineffective treatments may delay the use of effective treatments, which may compromise the child's outcome.

Parents and others may become discouraged from trying effective therapies if their hopes are dashed by ineffective therapies.

Contact with commercial providers advocating one ineffective treatment can expose parents to further unvalidated, harmful or expensive therapies. For example, we hear horror stories of parents being told they must buy a range of therapies if they want their child to be cured and then being billed for thousands and thousands of pounds.

So where do I find information I can trust?

It can be really difficult to find high-quality information that is accurate, up-to-date and reliable. When you do find the right information, it may be written in scientific gobbledygook that you can't understand. That is one reason this site has a Glossary of terms on autism.

The Research Autism information service website is one of the few which aims to provide clear and scientifically valid information about the most commonly used interventions.